A SCHOOL in Reading took to the national stage as it joined organisations around the world in raising awareness of modern slavery.
Queen Anne’s, in Caversham, took part in a worldwide initiative with CNN International’s Freedom Project, which aims to support the liberation and rehabilitation of modern-day slaves.
Students from the school joined the movement and performed creative contributions to explore the subject, including original poetry and music, spoken word, dances, and films produced by the students.
There were also interactive art installations and works which took contributions from students.
CNN International attended the event on Thursday, March 16, to film the performances and interview contributors, including with two live broadcasts from the school as part of its international news and social media coverage.
Elaine Purves, Head of Queen Anne’s School said: “The CNN My Freedom Day event was a huge learning experience for our students which opened their eyes to an important global issue.
“We were honoured to have the CNN team on campus, thrilled to appear live on CNN news throughout the day, and everyone relished the opportunity to be part of this worldwide educational event.”
CNN reporter Scott McLean spent the day at the school and reported back as performances took place throughout the day.
Tia Gold, a student at Queen Anne’s, said that what surprised her when learning about modern slavery was the rates of slavery in the chocolate industry.
“We have all here enjoyed chocolate, and get good memories from eating chocolate in our childhood, but that creates bad memories for child slaves who are forced every day to get the cocoa.”
Another, Eunice Durojaiye, said: “It really opened my eyes to see how many people are in slavery, how many people our age are also in slavery.
“It demonstrated and showed us all the reality of how bad the reality of making chocolate is.”
CNN International’s My Freedom Day also saw a number of celebrities take part in the campaign, with David Beckham, Usain Bolt, and Ellie Goulding among the stars explaining what freedom means to them.
Schools in the United States, India, Nigeria, Finland, the Philippines, Colombia, Dubai, Greece, and Hong Kong were among those to join Queen Anne’s in contributing.
The initiative also explored the impact of the commodities and products many people use every day, including the production of technology, food (particularly chocolate), and drink, as well as how and why people are trafficked.
The number of people suspected to be trapped in slavery or trafficked is estimated to be around 50 million.
Information about Queen Anne’s School, including upcoming initiatives and visiting details, are available via: www.qas.org.uk/
